Younger women with type 2 diabetes face higher risk of heart disease

Type 2 diabetes independently increases the risk of heart disease in premenopausal women, according to new research.

Share:

Total shares:

FULL STORY

Type 2 diabetes independently increases the risk of heart disease in premenopausal women, according to a study presented at the American Heart AssociationHigh Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions 2013.

Researchers studied 1,256 Argentine premenopausal and menopausal women with and without type 2 diabetes, ages 19 to 84, who underwent ultrasound imaging to measure plaque in their carotid arteries, the major artery running down the neck. Regardless of their age, family history, smoking history, having high blood pressure or menopausal status, plaque buildup was more common among the 293 women with type 2 diabetes compared with the 963 who didn't have diabetes.

"To reduce the risk of heart attacks, we recommend screening women with type 2 diabetes at younger ages, even if they don't have other known risk for heart disease," said Nestor Garcia, M.D., Ph.D, investigator from Blossom DMO, Cordoba, Argentina and CONICET, an Argentine government agency in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, and is caused by the gradual buildup of plaque in the arteries. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in the United States, and is a major risk factor for heart disease -- the leading cause of death in America.

July 31, 2015  School is just around the corner, which means backpacks and packed lunches await your children. One expert offers tips for parents to promote healthy dental habits while away from ... read more

July 29, 2015  By blocking the expression of a certain gene in patients, researchers have contributed to the demonstration of great decreases in the concentration of triglycerides in their ... read more

July 29, 2015  Viewing aquarium displays led to noticeable reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, a research team found in the first study of its kind. They also noted that higher numbers of fish helped to ... read more

Nov. 19, 2013  Younger Hispanic women face a higher risk of death in hospitals after a heart attack, are more likely to suffer from co-existing conditions such as diabetes, and are less likely to undergo ... read more

July 3, 2013  Postmenopausal women who quit smoking reduced their risk of heart disease, regardless of whether they had diabetes, according to a new study. Women without diabetes who gained more than five ... read more

June 6, 2011  New research finds that gestational diabetes, or pregnancy-related diabetes, may not raise the risk of heart disease independent of other cardiovascular risk factors except in certain high-risk ... read more